Wheel-flange oiler



WHEEL FLANGE OILER Filed Dec. '7, 1929 HTTCIRNEY' vfor the `lubrication of Patented Nov. 18,` 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN s, CHILDS, or ivniniiciiniv, WEST VIRGINIA.A AssiGNon oFoNE-I'IHIRD 'ro ROY A. NEASE, or MCI/IEGIIEN, Wiism VIRGINIA, ANIioNii-K'IHinnro CLAUDE B. IIARRING- TON, F MCMECHEN, WEST VIRGINIA WHEEL-.FLANGE oILnn l Appiiea'tion filed December 7,1929. serial Nana/Isa.

` -This invention rrelates broadly to Wheelflange lubricating devices, and more specifically to an apparatusr designed particularly the drive Wheels of locomotives.

, vThe principal objects ofthe invention are to provide a flange oileil of simple construction Which is Wholly automatic in its opera'- tion; which, following application, requires no adjustment; VWhich utilizes the vertical movements ofthe Wheel relative'tothe en- Y gine frame or body for effecting the applicay tion, or feed, of the lubricant and remains i n j l gtelescoping sections14a andL 141?, as shown,

inoperative While the engine stands idle; Which Vmaintains the Wheel tread free v`from lubricant, applying the lubricant tothe fiange only; and Whiclnfinally, is extremely economical in its use of the lubricant.

y ,With these and other objects in vieW,'the inventionresides in the features of constructionarrangement of parts and combinations .of eleinentsyvhich will hereinafter' be fully described, reference beinghad to the accompanyingdrawings, in Which.-

Figure 1 is a partial sile elevation of a locomotive equipped with the invention;v l

Figure 2 isan enlarged view of the inven-` tion,'partlyrin vertical section and partly in side elevation; n l f y j Figure 3 is atop plan view of the lubricant Y container; and- Figure 4,is a cross section of the lubricantapplying element.

Referring to said drawings, 1 designates a lubricant container or tank,'herein shown as ofcylindrical form', Whichis adapted `to be y mounted rigidly upon astetionary part of the engine, as a portion of the truck frame, at ar'suitable point adjacent tothe wheel 2 Whose flange 3 is tor be lubricated, Disposed.V

vertically Within said container, preferably in al central location, is a pump cylinder 4, and arranged for reciprocating,,movements f Witliinsaid cylinder is a pistondor plunger,

5. 'AV port 11, controlled by a suitable checkva-lve 12, is provided adjacentto thel lower end of the cylinder 4 and `normally constitutesV an" inlet passage through Which4 oil vflovvs from the container 1 tothe interior yof said cylinder.`

f The cylinder 4 is herein shovvnVV as formed integralk with aclosureS by means of Which a .centrally located opening '9 provided in .the'bottom 10 of the container is sealed. -Provided in said closurel 8k at the lower end of said cylinder'is ak port 6 vin which is mounted a normally closed cheek valve 7 which is ,connected by a suitable coupling 13 to thek upper end of a downwardly and forwardly linclined feed .pipe 1 4 through Which the lubricatingfoil vis supplied, as will hereinafter be described'. l Y

`The -feed pipe, 14 is composed of relatively Will. ride upon the xvlieelflange 3 to be lubricated.

rlhe A K being channeled on its under side to conformY sev 'block preferably made of metal',

tothe cross-sectional.dimensions and sha e kofthe Wheel flange` 3.V The nozzle'14.c oft e' Afeedfpipe,` 14 has Vsaid block pivotally .at-

tached thereto, as rshovvn Vat 17, for maintainingsaid parts in. their. proper relativepositions.; Thev oil ,received in the reservoir 15 passes bygravity throughone or more suitably located passages orports 18 to the inner vface of thevvheelflange 3, as is most clearly lshown, in Fig.. 4, for lubricating the. latter.

lTheinner. legila of the saddle-like lower portionsofsaid block ridesupon the tread surface of the .Wheel adjacent to the .flange and, in effect,y forms'a seal by VWhich flow of voil to ysaid `tread surface is largely, Yif not Wholly, prevented;y y n Y j i 'j A,

lLocated 'A at a suitabley .pointintermediate thefends of the section 14of the telescoping feed pipe-14lis a'universa1jointf20, ,prefere ably ofballfand-so'cket type, designed to allow the main body lportion and discharge end of "said-I feed pipe to have 'alimited range of universal movement to accommodate` said parts to the various*positionsassumedby the Y Wheel 2 relative to the truck yframe or other stationary part on which the oil container 1 is mounted, it being understood that said Wheel i not only has a range of lateral movement, but also of vertical movement, relative to the frame.

Pivotally Aattached to the feed pipe 14, as at 2l, is the lower end ofa vertical rod 22 which is directed upwardly through a guideslot 23 provided therefor in a lug 24 mounted upon the lubricant container l and which has' its upper end pivotally attached to the outer end ofa lever 25. Said leveris pivotally `mounted intermediate itsends upon a suitably located stationary part, as upon an upright post 26 fixed on the top of said container, and has its inner end pivotally mounted on the upper' protruding end of the rod 27 which carries the plunger 5. A. compression spring 28 of` `spiralforin'is carried by the rod221for normally maintaining said feed tube 14 and the attached block 16 Vvdepressed', said spring being shown Vwith its up er end resting against the lug 24 and its ower. end seated upon a collar 29 iXed on 'said rod. In practice, the slight elevating movements lofthe wheel 2 relative to the stationarily `mounted container .1,permitted by the usual springs "overlying the journal box, serve to elevate 'the block 1G and the attachedfeed pipe 14, substantially as shown in dotted linesv in F ig. 2, thus effecting a corresponding elevation of the `rod 22 against thertension .of spring 28. "This elevating movement of said rod producesa rocking movement of the lever 25 Vwhich actuates the plunger 5 located within the pump cylinder 4 tolow'er for forcing oil fromV the latter to the feed pipe 14.

Manifestly, the movements communicated to the plunger are ordinarily slight, but theyare sulicientlyfrequefnt to effectthe feedof lubricant at the relatively slow rate Vrequired for lubricationof thelwheel flange.

VjAn inclined ro'd 3() having oneend pivot-V ally attached to a stationarytpart, as to a Vbracket arm 31 rigidly carried by thereon-` tainerV l, is herein shown'as/ located `at a slightly lower level'than .the feedppipe 14,

:the same having'its `forwardend pivotally attached to a depending lug 32 fixed on the under side ofthe section 414", as shown. Said rodfserves not only to prevent rela-tive dem ltachinent of the sections 14a and'14b of the telescoping Y feed pipe butto limit the eX- @tent of relative rotary movement of said seclfm tions. The joints formedatopposite ends ofrsaid rod 30 are sulii'ciently loose and free .to allow of the range of lateral movements Arequired to accommodate itself to the lateral movements y of the .feeder-)i136 in following shifting movements `of the wheel. l f

Afwii'e meshYstrainer-SS is preferably disposed ih enclosing relation to ,theE pump cylinder 4eins Shown.

Whatsclaimedis- Y y In apfwheel-flaiigeoiler, a stationarilyV i. mounted oil icontainenia pump cylinder to e ,which oilissupplied froinsaid containegfa Apivotal connection `with said member, said -pipe having therein a flexible joint, permitmaaien whereby.vertical movements imparted to the former are communicated to the latter for forcing oil to said feed pipe.

2. In a wheel-liange oiler, a stationai'ily `mounted oil container, a pump cylinder to which oil is supplied from said container, a plunger within said cylinder, a saddle-like member mounted to ride on the wheel flange, said member .having thereina reservoir and ports leading from the reservoir, a' feed pipe kleading from said pump cylinder to and be ing adapted to conduct oil to the reservoir of the latter, said feed pipe having therein l a universal joint andbeing adapted to be elevated and lowered with vertical movements of the wheel imparted to saidmember, and coni'iections between saidfeed pipe and said plunger wherebythe latter' is actuated by movements of the former to recipi'ocaterwithin said cylinder.

5) i I -I- o. In a wheelsflange oilei, a stationaiily mounted oil container, a pump cylinder to which oil is supplied from said container, a`

`plunger within said cylinder, a saddleLlilie Vmember mounted to ride on'the wheel flange,

said member havingtherein a reservoir and ports leading from the reservoir, a feed pipe leading from said pump cylinder to and having pivotal connection with said member, said feedy pipe being adapted to conduct oil to the reservoir of said member and being composed of telescoping sectionsysaidpipe being flexible to permit a range of universal movement of its discharge end, `and'means connecting said end to said plunger whereby Avertical movements of the former arecomnninicated to the latter.

4. In af wheel-llange oiler, a stationarily mounted oil container, a pump cylinder disposed to receive oil from said container, a

y plunger arranged to operate in said cylinder,

an oil distributing memberndisposed to ride on'theV wheel flange and 'having therein an oil .reservoir with feed ports'leadingY therefrom, a feed pipe leading from the lower end of said cylinder to said reservoir and having ting shiftingl movements of the discharge end of said pipe to correspond to movement-s of said member,and connections between the Vshiftable end Vof said pipe .and said plunger .whereby vertical movementsS of the'forlner are communicated to the latter. y

15. I n za. `Wheel-flange oiler, a ,-stationari-ly `mounted oil container, -apump cylinder' 'disposed to receive oil from said-containei,.a

icc

plunger arranged to operate in said cylinder, an oil distributing member disposed to Y ride on the wheel fiange and having therein an oil reservoir with feed ports'leading therefrom, a feed pipe leading from the lower end of said cylinder to said reservoir and having pivotal connection with said membei', said pipe having therein a flexible joint permitting shifting movements of the discharge end of said pipe to correspond to .movements of said member, a pivotally mounted lever connected at one end to said plunger, a rod connecting the opposite end of said lever to the shiftable end of said feed pipe, and yieldable' means normally holding said rod depressed vfor maintaining said plunger elevated andsaid discharge end of the feed pipe lowered.

6. In a `wheel-flange oiler, a stationarily mounted oil container, a pump cylinder disposed to receive Oil from said container, a plunger arranged to operate in said cylinder, an oil distributingv member disposed to ride on the wheel flange and having therein f an'oil reservoir with feed ports leading therefrom, a feed pipe leadingfrom the lower end of said cylinder to said reservoir and having pivotal connect-lon with said member, said pipe having therein a flexible jointY permitting shifting movements of the discharge end ofsaid pipe to correspond to move* ments of said member, a pivotally mounted lever connected at one end to said plunger, a rod connecting the opposite end of said lever to the shiftable end of said feed pipe, and yieldable means normally' holding said rod depressed for maintaining said plunger elevated and said discharge end of the feed pipe lowered, said feed pipe embodying telescoping sections. i Y

In testimony-whereof, I afiX my signature.

JOHN S. CH'ILDS. 

